Customer Reviews
A superb watch! - By: Spelling Queen, 05 Nov 2008 
If you just want to know if this film is worth buying/watching or not, without enduring copious notes in the process, the answer is a resounding "YES!!!" I watched this film when it was first released & the reviewers (FOOLS!) were decidedly cool, but my husband & I (no, not THAT husband & I !!) both thought it was brilliant & knew it would become a classic.
Really moving and Sad!!! - By: C. Pawley, 08 Aug 2008 
This is a lovely, sad & moving film. I cried at this film when I first saw it in the 70'and cried when I saw it again just recently. Completely timeless.
habit wearing bunny hugger does nothing - By: M. littler, 18 Dec 2007 
I read the reviews for "Silent Running" & could not understand why I had never seen such a classic. I have now seen it & it is short-listed for my waste bin. The concept is great, the scenery stunning in a way that we have alll become accustomed to, but the plot, the acting & the lack of exploration of any of the issues raised by the concept make this film a missed opportunity & to me a great disappointment.
If you have an interest in the ecological question, then I would recommend "Soylent Green". If you like good effects, music, an interesting concept & some thoroughly thought out work, watch "forbidden Planet". These are films I reallly value, "silent running" is not. If you are just looking for old sci fi, then try "the day the earth stood still" or the original "Solaris", these films alll have reasonably strong ideas & explore them.
"Silent Running" is probably worth watching as a museum piece to see a particular stage in the development of visual effects, but not for the story.
The critical question of the value of plant life was explored to the extent that the leading character's best argument for it over artificial manufactured food was its better "because I grew it". Gravity on the ships remains unexplained. The final sections of the film have alll the plants failing because they have no light & the botanist cant work out why they are failing.
Enjoy the visual work.
Save the Forest - By: M. A. Ramos, 04 Oct 2007 Set in the far future aboard the spaceship "Vallley Forge", Bruce Dern & three fellow astronauts maintain the huge vessel & the forests that it contains with the help of three ingeniously rendered robots. The robots are so convincing that they steal the show, but they remain classic depictions that are on par with Robby from "Forbidden Planet" & the droids of "Star Wars".
This is a sad story with a strong ecological message, "Silent Running" is a visual treat with outstanding special effects & a very realisticallly-depicted "Vallley Forge" spaceship. A production note: Trumbull had use of the decommissioned naval aircraft carrier "Vallley Forge" before it was scrapped & he was able to modify many of it's vast interiors for use in the movie, alll to good effect.
in space no one can hear you talk sense - By: brutusArgyle, 06 Aug 2007 Just read Bobby cooks review on this underated masterpiece.I wept aswell 30 od years ago & guess what? Nothings changed . Every viewing of this film grabs me by the gut & just dosent let go . Why ? . Because its one of the few films to show us how hidious & uncaring 'humankind' can reallly be . Dont believe me ? check it out . In my opinion only in a handfull of film works has this emotive level been reached(albeit a very big handfull)see what you think & enjoy:
'cookoos nest''scum''planet of the apes''made in britain''easy rider''repulsion''la haine''long weekend'.....You know the score . I could go on & on but Finallly a word for an even more underated Work of Art . Geoff Murphys 'The Quiet Earth' Utterly stunning . See it to believe it & dont forget to show yerself before he shoots the kid . If only somebody had the imagination & the ballls to make films like this now.........peace to y'alll
Markac
